Singapore Local News, 2012-01-06

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SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa resigns SMRT Corporation's president and chief executive Saw Phaik Hwa, 57, has resigned with immediate effect. Her resignation comes shortly after SMRT suffered its worst train breakdowns in over two decades, prompting calls from among the........     DBS finds 400 cases of unauthorised withdrawals Preliminary investigations have narrowed the card skimming operations, which led to fraudulent withdrawals from customers' DBS and POSB accounts, to two ATMs at Bugis, said the bank at a press conference this evening. Investigations........ Disadvantaged Yuhua residents get preview of Gardens by the Bay It was a rare day out for 60 physically challenged and the elderly from Yuhua constituency. They got a preview of the yet-to-be opened Gardens by the Bay today morning. The horticultural icon opens in June this year...... Significant health benefits for smokers who quit: Study SINGPORE - A large-sized study looking at smoking habits of the elderly here has seen health benefits for those who have only stopped smoking recently. The study which was led by Dr Koh Woon Puay of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health........ Merlion closed for routine cleaning The Merlion at Merlion Park will be closed for routine cleaning for five days from this Sunday (Jan 8-12). The Singapore Tourism Board said during the cleaning, the Merlion will be partially hoarded up for safety considerations...... Singapore scientists identify gene responsible for lung cancer Singapore scientists have, for the first time, identified a gene responsible for lung cancer. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) said the finding, reported in the advanced online issue of Cell yesterday, is a........

A confident Yale-NUS College announces two new programmes An uncertain economic climate and concerns over job prospects have not prevented the first liberal arts college here from remaining confident that a broad-based education can take root here. The Yale-National University of Singapore........     Bayfront, Marina Bay MRT stations to open Jan 14 Two more Circle Line MRT stations will open for service next Saturday...... Fewer shoppers using NETS payment on Friday Since news of the ATM fraud broke, some retailers said they noticed fewer customers using NETS payment on Friday...... Ministers' pay-cut formula "flawed": Workers' Party The Workers' Party (WP) said the recommendations of the Committee to Review Ministerial Salaries are a step in the right direction towards grounding political leaders with a stronger sense of public service and mission...... CNB seizes first large drug haul of the year Narcotics officers have seized 4.9 kilograms of heroin worth about S$740,000 - the first large drug seizure of the year...... NEA officer jailed 3 years for corruption A senior technical officer with the National Environment Agency was jailed three years and ordered to pay a penalty of S$119,700 after accepting bribes from a contractor to aid his business...... ACI (I) school sees IB students get perfect score Results of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) examination held in November 2011 were released on Friday...... SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa resigns SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa has resigned...... DBS Bank finds 400 cases of unauthorised withdrawals DBS Bank on Friday said it has found 400 cases of unauthorised withdrawals from the accounts of its customers...... New DBSS project launched in Hougang A new development under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) has been launched in Hougang...... Businesses urged to change plans as fewer people eat live fish Singapore National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan has urged local fishery ports and wet markets to note the lifestyle changes of their consumers, as they formulate future business plans...... More ITE courses for GCE O-Level students GCE O-Level school leavers, who will receive their results on Monday, will now have more Institute of Technical Education (ITE) courses to choose from, especially with the introduction of new Higher Nitec courses in April 2012...... Quitting smoking early can cut mortality risk Elderly smokers who quit now may be able to see the health benefits sooner than they thought...... Mindset change key to rehiring law's success: Tan Chuan-Jin Minister of State for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin said the success of the Retirement and Re-employment Act (RRA), which came into force this year, lies with Singapore's ability to change ageist mindsets and embrace more enlightened attitudes...... Transport Minister Lui to make statement on MRT disruptions The year's first sitting of Parliament on Monday will see Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew making a Ministerial Statement on the disruptions of the MRT train services in December...... POSB/DBS customers check accounts following fraud cases Many POSB and DBS customers have been checking their bank accounts following reports of unauthorised withdrawals affecting some 200 customers...... Pro-bono efforts to get boost as part of new legal initiatives Singapore's legal fraternity is making a strong push to expand pro-bono or free legal services...... Yuhua residents get preview of Gardens by the Bay It was a rare day out for 60 physically challenged and the elderly from Yuhua constituency...... Merlion closed for routine cleaning The Merlion at Merlion Park will be closed for routine cleaning for five days from this Sunday (January 8-12)...... FAS unveils new S.League CEO The Football Association of Singapore has appointed Mr Lim Chin as the new CEO of the S.League...... S'pore scientists identify gene responsible for lung cancer Singapore scientists have, for the first time, identified a gene responsible for lung cancer...... Singapore sailors win team title at Optimist world championships The Singapore team of Ryan Lo, Kimberly Lim, Yukie Yokoyama, Jillian Lee and Jessica Goh have clinched the team racing event at the Optimist World Sailing Championships...... Football: Etoile FC cry foul over Gouttefangeas He led the first European side into the S-League in 2010, and in a remarkable feat, Johan Gouttefangeas went on to make history when he became the first chairman of a foreign team to win the competition, when French outfit Etoile FC lifted the title ..... NUS server hacked, passwords reset for some Hackers infiltrated one of the National University of Singapore's Web servers on Thursday, leading to the re-setting of passwords for affected accounts......